Peter's only son "tried to kill him" and died in prison
Russia's throne got passed around to a bunch of distant relations and Prussians
Elizabeth was a kind of a B and imprisoned a toddler (Ivan VI) so she could be Tzarina and wear fancy dresses and have nice things.
She made it a policy that if the kid or his mother ever tried to escape they should be killed.
Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst
Another Prussian
Married Peter III (who was Peter the Great's grandson)
Hated Peter III (her second cousin) from the first day she met him -- he was 10 and still played with toy soldiers (immature!) and drank too much (wut?)
Her aristocratic family was well-connected, but broke
Hello RussIA
She got sick as soon as she arrived and credits her not dying with having 4 bloodlettings in a day
Had a kid (probably not Peter's)
Started planning a coup right away.
BYE
BYE
PETER
A Complex WOman
Extended Russian Empire by 200,000 square miles
Got people vaccinated before it was cool
Annexed Crimea before it was cool
Hermitage began as her own personal collection
Avid reader (and writer)
Big on education
Not a fan of Jews or peasants
Had many boyfriends who she flattered with gifts of serfs
In conclusion
She totally killed that poor kid (Ivan I) that her aunt- in-law imprisoned because she wanted to empress.